Lead Under 12 Coach

Organisation: Derby County Football Club
Salary: Dependent on Experience
Location: Moor Farm Morley Road Oakwood, Derby DE21 4TB ·
Contract type
Closing date: 29 June 2025
Job Description: Lead Under 12 Coach

Derby County Football Club, established in 1884, is one of the founder members of the English Football League and has a rich and varied history, including two First Division titles in 1972 and 1975 and an FA Cup success in 1946. The club are currently playing in League One, the third tier of English Football, and is under the management of Head Coach, John Eustace. The club also boasts a successful and respected Category One Academy, a status which has been held since 2014. Derby County is embarking on an exciting new era following the change in ownership to Clowes Developments (UK) Limited. Our track record of producing talent is outstanding, and we intend to protect that proud legacy, investing in key roles within the club to build on the foundations in place for success.

Derby County Football Club has an opportunity to join our Academy Coaching Team at our Category One Academy as a Lead Under 12 Coach.

Our Academy's vision is to continue to provide talented, well-balanced young professional footballers for Derby County's first-team squad and become recognised as the ‘Academy of Choice’ for young players within our local area and beyond.

Our mission is to identify, develop, and support talented young footballers so that they can achieve their maximum potential in a positive, supportive, and professional learning environment.

The successful candidate will be responsible for leading the U12 age group through the transition from the Foundation Phase into the Youth Development Phase. This full-time role involves planning and delivering a tailored coaching and games programme, aligned with long-term player development objectives. The coach works closely with the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) to ensure a holistic approach is embedded in each player's journey.

Key Responsibilities:

Coaching & Player Development
• Working from the Derby County Game Craft Manual and technical curriculum, deliver engaging, age-appropriate coaching that supports the 9v9 to 11v11 transition.
• Lead all training sessions and matchday preparations for your assigned Youth Development Phase age group, operating within the club’s coaching framework and best-practice guidelines.
• Keep Player IDPs at the centre of your planning, ensuring they're regularly updated and aligned with MDT input and audit outcomes.
• Collaborate with the Head of Coaching and Head of Academy Technical Development to ensure elite-level session design, delivery, and evaluation, personally and across your coaching group.
• Lead and support day release sessions and provide flexible coaching cover across phases when needed.
• Enhance the player-parent feedback cycle, maintaining open, transparent communication and serving as a reliable point of contact.
• Engage in ongoing CPD and coach development planning with the relevant Heads of Department to ensure coaching standards remain high and aligned with the club’s competency framework.
• Attend all team selection meetings with pre-planned player schedules that meet EPPP game-time criteria.

Planning & Programme Management
• Consistently meet review-period expectations, including timely player feedback and match/training analysis using designated platforms.
• Oversee the games programme for your age group, delivering controlled, challenging, player-centred experiences while managing all operational elements, tours, and cross-phase coordination.
• Hold monthly review meetings with the Assistant Academy Manager to reflect on performance and plan, flagging resourcing needs as required.
• Work with Academy Coaching Heads’ and Assistant Academy Manager to ensure staffing rotas are correct and are in place with the interest of the players at the centre of your planning.
• Uphold responsibilities relating to health, safety, welfare, safeguarding, and inclusivity, always promoting a professional, values-led image of the club.
Leadership & Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) Management
• Foster a productive working relationship with your Assistant Coach, setting clear plans, sharing accountability, and overseeing all coaching activity within the group, inclusive of appraising the Assistant Coach at periods throughout the season.
• Act as a key MDT contributor within the schoolboy operational and player pathway meetings, working closely with the Assistant Academy Manager to uphold holistic development processes.
• Contribute actively to weekly MDT meetings, sharing insights and cascading key information to appropriate staff.
• Play a lead role in age-specific player audits, retention/release decisions, and ensure collaboration with adjacent age group coaches.
• Build and maintain excellent working relationships across all academy departments

Personal characteristics and experience:
• Experience of football coaching in a professional environment
• Experience of coaching 11v11 format
• Experience of coaching small sided formats in the Foundation Phase is desirable
• Experience of working with players who have progressed through the Academy system is desirable
• Experience of implementing policies and procedures and reviewing practices to ensure continuous improvement.
• Passion, desire and understanding of Youth Development
• Excellent communication and listening skills with the ability to communicate effectively across all levels.
• Ability to organise, schedule and adapt work tasks to meet conflicting deadlines and respond to changing situations
• Confident presentation skills
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team as well as independently.
• Understanding of EPPP and the audit process.
• Ability to enter data efficiently and effectively on Kitman Labs and other suitable platforms.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, target driven environment.
• Ability to prioritise and manage own workload.

Essential Qualifications
• UEFA B Coaching Licence
• FA Advanced Youth Award (or currently working towards)
• FA First Aid Qualification
• FA Safeguarding

Salary dependent on experience

This is a full-time position based at our training ground in Oakwood, Derby.

This role will require weekend and evening work in line with the Academy programme.

Everything we do as a Club is built around the three pillars of stability, integrity, and progress.

Our core values are:

• We are proud of who we are and what we do
• We are positive, inspired and passionate
• We are ambitious and driven
• We are prepared, honest and humble
• We are the heartbeat of our community
• We are the club of opportunity

Derby County employee benefits include:

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Two complimentary staff season tickets
• Two complimentary staff away memberships
• 20% discount at DCFC Megastore
• Company Pension with Aviva
• Discounts with select Club partners and sponsors
• Healthshield Cash Health Plan to support employee health and well-being and Perks for great deals and discounts
• Participating in our employee forum, ‘The Herd’
• Training and development opportunities
• Access to programmes and volunteering opportunities with Derby County Community Trust
• Subsidised lunchtime meals at Moor Farm

Derby County Football Club is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
As part of the Club's commitment to providing a safe environment for children and young people, applicants should be aware that this post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Criminal Record Check.

Derby County Football Club is an Inclusive Club for all and is committed to Equality and Diversity.

To apply for this role, please complete an application form, which can be found HERE.

Alternatively, please copy and paste - http://thera.ms/apply - to your chosen browser.

More information can be found at https://www.dcfc.co.uk/page/jobsandcareers

The closing date for receipt of applications is Sunday 29 June 2025. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early.

Strictly no agencies please.

Derby County Football Club’s Job Applicant Privacy Policy can be found at dcfc.co.uk.
How to apply: To apply for this role, please complete an application form, which can be found HERE. Alternatively, please copy and paste - http://thera.ms/apply - to your chosen browser. More information can be found at https://www.dcfc.co.uk/page/jobsandcareers